tanpa

Tanpa is a preposition in Indonesian that means "without." It is used to indicate the absence or lack of something and is followed by a noun phrase or a verbal phrase. The typical structure is tanpa + complement, such as tanpa gula, tanpa air, or tanpa ragu.

Common uses include referring to objects or conditions (tanpa gula, kopi tanpa gula), as well as actions or qualities (tanpa berpikir, tanpa ragu, bekerja tanpa henti). Tanpa can precede nouns, adjectives used as nouns, or verbs in their base form, yielding expressions that describe deprivation, lack of permission, or absence of circumstance. In more formal or literary contexts, it can introduce phrases like tanpa seizin orang tua (without parental consent) or tanpa biaya tambahan (without additional cost).

In terms of style and register, tanpa is a standard, neutral word found across everyday speech, media, and official writing. It often conveys a straightforward statement of absence rather than a negation expressed by tidak or bukan, making it suitable for descriptive and informative contexts.

Etymology and language context: tanpa originates from the Malay language and is widely used in both Indonesian and Malay. It is part of the core vocabulary in the Malay-speaking world and is commonly taught to language learners as a basic preposition. While its usage is broadly similar to related negations, tanpa carries a specific sense of deprivation or lack that differentiates it from other negations.